Author

My name is Victor Tribunsky. I am a 50+ man who worked and studied all his life to make some money and raise his sons. Now, when they able to live without father’s help, I have the opportunity to travel the world.

Writing about yourself is always a challenge, but GoAbroad.com helped me.
You can read my interview for them below.

Who is Victor Tribunsky?

He is a 50+ man who worked and studied all his life to make some money and raise his sons. Now that they are grown and live without father’s help, he has the opportunity to see the world with the financial help of the family micro business. After three or four trips he started the “Victor Travel Blog” to share with the world his impressions in the form of stories and photos.

What is your favourite blog entry?

I often ask myself this question too. You know, if you ask any writer about his favourite story he will name the most unpopular one and, of course, not the best selling. I am no different in this; my favourite blog post is the one about talking with Venice, yes, talking with; not the story about. The city of Venice seemed to me like a woman—alive and beautiful, but very old and sick. I wrote my conversation with her right there, on one of her channels.

You and your wife make short international trips four or five times a year. How do you prepare for your travels?

Initially, we went to a desired place, explored it, took photos, and only during the journey, or after it, learned something interesting about the place. Once, I proposed to Irina that we first study the historical facts and all available information about the next destination and then visit the place. It turned out that, in this way I had much deeper and stronger feelings about the place, and was able to write a better blog post. This practice started with the visit to the ruins of the castle Peyrepertuse (France)—which has a very dramatic and bloody history—and continues to this day.

You have travelled to 22 countries. Which country has made the biggest impression on you?

If you had asked me this question five or six years ago, the answer would have been very simple: the Maldives. However, now I could not answer without hesitation. Biggest impression? In which aspect: living conditions, business, sightseeing, or cuisine? Moreover, now I understand that even some regions within one country can be very different in all senses. Now specifically: which region or city has made a biggest impression on me and why?

Bruges, Belgium. I could live here, do some business, and enjoy the history and architecture of this place. Bruges is my favourite city. However, cuisine and climate are mediocre here, and I did not like the capital, Brussels.

The Maldives. This is a real paradise for everyone: sun, weather, ocean with plenty of underwater life, etc., but I could not live here and do business because I understand that this place is a paradise only for tourists. Locals live here as in a big cage, and sooner or later all this will be exploded by a revolution or something else.

Rome and Italy. All is wonderful here: smiling people, bright sun, comfortable weather, mind-boggling cuisine, the richest historical heritage, but the concept of “order” is not very familiar to Italians, so it is hard to do business here. At least, it feels that way to me.

France and Spain. They have very interesting history, which produces a great impression on me every time I visit, but the cuisine, climate, and people are very different from region to region, so you must choose the place for living or business very carefully in these countries.

These are only my subjective impressions of some countries, but I am afraid to tire your readers.

You are a fitness instructor. How do you stay in shape while travelling abroad?

There are two components for allowing you to maintain a good shape: proper nutrition and the right physical activity. Good nutrition—abroad, at home, or anywhere else—means meat/poultry/fish, green vegetables, all kinds of fruits, some white or red wine, and coffee or tea. As you can see, there are no bread and burgers, no sweets and desserts, no beer and cola, no side dishes of potato, rice or pasta. In short, no junk food.

The second component, physical activity, is a very simple thing in our case. If it is the Maldives, then four or five hours of snorkeling every day; Europe—exploring the medieval ruins or castles which can mean many hours of climbing the mountains; old cities—sightseeing (sometimes it is 15-20 kilometres of walking in a day). Just image three to four hours of walking on a treadmill in your fitness centre!

Travelling gets you out of your desk and moving around, but it also means eating and drinking the local cuisine. What should every traveller do to stay in shape on the road?

This question is similar to previous one, but I have a few amendments. Of course, it is nearly impossible to eat “clear” abroad if you are a real explorer and don’t want to miss something from the local cuisine, but as the British say, “You don’t need to eat the whole egg to know that it is addled.” In our case that means you need not eat all of a local dish to understand that it is wonderful. Try a little piece and stop. Torture? Yes, but who said a blogger’s life is paradise?

How can you not try an ice-cream in Bologna, Italy, home of the only Gelato University in the world? How can you not try jamón in Spain if the Spanish say it is the best in the world (unless they have tried Prosciutto)? Beer and sausages in Bavaria, cheeses in France, pizza in Italy, dumplings from three kinds of meat in Russia, hummus in Israel? All this is worth a taste, but not eating in most cases.

However, I will tell you confidentially this is an ideal scenario. In real life, we often bring along a little of extra weight and then fight it ruthlessly in the gym.

You are drawn to medieval and ancient cities. What attracts you to these historical destinations?

It is like asking a fisherman why he likes fishing. I’ve liked history since childhood. I’ve read all the myths of Ancient Greece and all ancient history (you can look at the photo of my childish drawings in my blog post about 300 Spartans), then the history of the Roman Empire and the Dark Ages. Do you know what my first computer game was? Age of Empires.

I collected postage stamps depicting the medieval knights; now I come back from every trip with a new tin knight. I like the history of Europe and cannot say why, but I know for sure that the history of Japan or India, for example, is not interesting for me.

You travel with your wife. What are the advantages/challenges of travelling with your partner?

Advantages? You have safe sex whenever you want it. The rest are only challenges. Just kidding. Of course, there are more advantages than challenges. If your interests coincide, you are the happiest couple in the world. Happiness is a life with somebody who understands you and needs you.

Challenges? Well, only one: your travels are more expensive.

Do you ever disagree on destinations? What is your next destination?

My wife is developing a plan for next year and we will discuss it, change and refine it. When it is approved in the family council, Irina starts to buy tickets, rent cars, and to book hotels in advance (sometimes it is half the price).

Our next travels will be very adventurous. We’ll fly to Portugal where we’ll visit the underground palace of the Rosicrucian Order, the old chapel made from human bones, the abandoned Capuchin monastery, and the abandoned Templar fortress located on the island. The most interesting thing is that there is no river crossing available, so we will take a rubber inflatable boat with us. By the way, it will be in January. Lord, help us.

Thanks for taking the time to look at my blog. You have the same interests as me, travel and fitness. I will be following your posts and hope that my blog will make you do the same. You have wonderful pictures and some good information. My wife is from Belgium and would like to go back and spend some time wandering around – your post on lodging in Bruges is making me rethink on where to go.
Thanks

Just wanted to say “thanks” for taking the time to read and “like” my article on Narcissism. I’m new to the world of blogging, and I always appreciate it when people actually take the time to interact with my work.

As for you blog, I am quite jealous. I used to travel all around the world – everywhere from The Netherlands (for a 6 month stay) to Croatia to Ghana and Tanzania. But I’m married now and my wife and I have three great kids, which sort of puts a damper on the whole travel thing.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by. If you liked the topic, be sure to come by again as I will be unpacking a fair amount of research related to narcissism.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog, What Gives 365! I am so happy I found your beautiful travel site … you’ve been a lot of fabulous places! I’m going to be traveling a LOT myself next year, blogging for Heifer International all over the world– hope you will follow along! I’ll be back to see yours!!!

Incredible photography! These were a joy to look at. I head to Cairo on December 21st and this site is inspirational as I think about photos. I’ve lived there before so sometimes things can lose their wonder.

Hi there Victor! Thanks for visiting my blog earlier in the week and for the ‘Like’ on my post ‘Morning’. It is much appreciated! It also gave me the opportunity to visit you here….and I’m glad I did. I REALLY admire your goal of helping people to become beautiful, healthful, and strong, wow! Also, your photographs are amazing!

Thanks a lot for visiting my blog and leaving a ‘like’. As a student, though I don’t travel a lot(at present), I love to write when I do and read about it.
I loved to go through your blog! and you’ve got awesome pics!
-Divya

Feel free to come and sit at my table in the Sierra Foothills in CA! Or take a trip with us to one of the many fine restaurants here while exploring the Gold Country, where gold was found in California!

Aloha Victor,
Thank you for visiting my blog and I am enjoying yours very much. I also enjoy traveling, staying healthy and writing. I liked your photos of Sagrada. I have visited Barcelona when it was under construction and would like to see it now. I also liked your meal in Lyon. I have never been to Lyon but heard it has great food. But most of all I liked your photo of you and you wife dancing the Tango. I love dancing and I can see you studied this dance. I dance Salsa. I hope one day you visit Hawaii. It is indeed paradise

Wow, you have been to some incredible places! I’m especially jealous of your trip to the Maldives. I constantly check the prices of airfare to go there, but they are always SO expensive. Well, maybe one day eh? Thanks for continuing to follow my blog, Victor. I can’t wait to click around yours much more.
Happy travels,
Nate

Hi, thanks for liking my You’re Welcome to southwestern Ontario blog, hope you come back again. Thank you for sharing your pics on your blog, it’s wonderful to see the world through pictures if I can’t get there myself and your pics are super.

hey, thank you for checking out my new blog today. i love your travel blog! it’s a lot of fun. i love to travel too and hope i can post some stories in the weeks and month to come. have fun travelling and blogging! 🙂

Thanks for visiting my blog! I’m so excited to read about your travels! I’ll be posting about several recent trips in Europe in the upcoming days if you want to check them out! Best wishes and happy travels!

Hey Victor, I saw that you checked out my blog today. Thanks so much for stopping by. I love to travel and I see that you so as well. There’s nothing more exciting than planning and then packing for a trip somewhere. Love your blog. You’ve been to some great places. Cheers, Karen

Dear Victor,
You are one well-traveled gentlemen. Your pics are amazing but of course you know that already 🙂 I’ve directed my travelista brides to visit your website so that they can see some of the magnificent castles that most princesses only dream about. Kudos to you and yours.

Thanks for the positive feedback on the post in my blog, All These Places Feel Like Home. Your blog seems absolutely fascinating – I can already feel myself becoming jealous of all the places you’ve been!

So much travelling planned later in life, so many places to go and experience. Looking at other people’s pictures of travel will do for now. I think your pictures are fantastic, and thanks for dropping by my Blog, Instrument of Expression

I just stumbled across your blog and wonder why I didn’t find your blog a lot earlier. You’ve written so many interesting posts and took great pictures. Judging from the posts, I guess we’re in the same boat of history-loving travel bloggers. I’ll make sure not to miss your upcoming posts!

Thanks for stopping by my blog! Loving your Jordan and Greece photos – makes me even more excited to go there in March! In the meantime, keep checking for my posts on Nepal – one place you ABSOLUTELY must visit if you love ancient cities!

Thank you for visiting my blog and for liking the pages – very much appreciated! I am kind of new to blogging, and am just working my way around wordpress, but should now be following your blog too, as you certainly have some interesting travels!! Michael

Welcome, Michael. I follow you too and wait your tutorial. I want to learn to make photos of your quality.
Pay your attention to the button “more” in the WordPress blog post editor, it hides a part of a post.

Hi Victor. You have a really interesting blog with some fabulous photos. Congratulations! If you are interesting in showing off your shots to a wider audience, we host a weekly travel photography competition in which we would love you to participate. Here are the details: http://hitchhikershandbook.com/your-contributions/travel-photography/. Happy travels!

Hi Victor! Since I discovered your blog I have really been enjoying it. You are a source of inspiration through all your travels and adventures. As a thank you, I want to give you the Inventive Blogger Award 🙂 You can read more about it and which other blogs I nominated here:http://maldivesdreamer.com/2014/01/26/inventive-blogger-award/

Hey Victor. I really like this interview. It’s well deserved as your posts are really detailed and informative. I also wanted to say thanks so much for following me. I only hope that you get as much an enjoyable read as I do yours. 🙂

Victor, I am so happy that you stopped by my blog! Your travels are inspirational, and I love that you are traveling well into your adult life. I was only recently bit by the travel bug, but I aspire to see the world just as you have!

I wish you and your wife the happiest of travels and I cannot wait to use some of your posts as future guides.

Hi Victor, Thanks for stopping by and liking my posts on Montenegro. its encouraging for a new blogger like me. I find your blog fasincating/inspiring so I am looking forward to following you and reading more!

Most excellent !! Someone older than me doing what I love and helping others stay in shape. I will follow you religiously as I’ve spent a year of being laid off getting fit; knowing the food is carbie and unhealthy it’s gonna be interesting staying fit in the tropical heat so I’ll come to you for advice !! Thanks for the like
Rob and Diane

Glad I discovered your blog. My husband and I are just starting the traveling component of our Encore Voyage, and I’m just starting to document it on our companion blog Encore Wanderings. I’ll be happy to follow you to see how it’s done! I want to do what you do!!!

Hello, Victor & Irina, thank you for coming by and hanging around for more posts – I hope! I’ve just enjoyed your Jugendstil buildings by Eisenstein – wow! I didn’t know any of this. Aside from historical facts, until now, if you said ‘Riga’ my response would have been: Hunde von Riga [a novel by Henning Mankell]. I’m glad to learn about these beautiful aspects of the city! You failed to mention in your post that M. O. Eisenstein was the father of famous film director Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein. Such an unhappy family!! I’m looking forward reading more of your post. Best, Claudia

Thank you for visiting my blog. I love your blog and photos! It makes me feel like I am looking at the subjects personally. I hope to travel the world too someday and take photos of it’s beauty. BTW, what camera do you use? I am a newbie in photography and most of the time I just use my iPhone.

Hi Victor, I’m so impressed by your website and photos. Would it be possible to have permission to use your photos on our website to preserve the history and heritage of Malta? https://culturemalta.org